No is a complete sentence!

No. It's quite simple to say but why don't we say it enough? A lot of us are scared to say no because we worry about how it affects others and how others will perceive us when we are not willing to follow along with them. Little do we know that "When you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else". Agreeing to something means we're disagreeing to something else. We have to be willing to say no in order to focus on the things that are important to us and disregard ones which are not. Most individuals who care about pleasing others are always worried about how others will perceive them if they are to say no but this should be emphasized because it is a way to set boundaries.

No one is going to respect you and your time if you're not doing it yourself. There is nothing wrong with being selfish in some situations and examining it to see if it is more beneficial to yourself or others. Some people say yes to something and later on resent themselves for it because it is not what they wanted to do but felt obligated to because they didn't want to disappoint others. Saying No also gives us more time to pursue new interests. We are given the opportunity to explore new interests because we have more free time on our hands for ourselves instead of doing things we would not want to do. Saying no to others helps them respect you more because they know you are not willing to compromise yourself and your beliefs to fit theirs.

This is not about always saying no in order to prove a point or seem busy when we're not but more about saying no when it is something we are not interested in. We have to be comfortable with making people mad and not trying to please them. Being free from pleasing people gives us the freedom to grow into who we are and unlock self-realization. Self-realization gives us the opportunity to be comfortable with who we are while not caring about outside noises and influences. Saying no helps build our self-esteem and self confidence. People will eventually get over it when we say no to them and if they don't it's okay to let them go. Friendships based on people only caring about how we benefit them without reciprocation shouldn't be ones we pursue or hold on to. Say No today to things you don't want to do!